YAMAHA FZ-09 | DOIN' TIME

WRIST: Ari Henning
MSRP (2014): $7,990
MILES: 6,017
MPG: 39
MODS: Akrapovic exhaust
UPDATE: 9

Yup, I caved. I just bolted a $1,265 exhaust to this $7,990 Yamaha motorcycle. Thus far, every penny spent on the FZ-09 has been carefully scrutinized—but not this time.

I ordered this Akrapovic ( akrapovic.com ) exhaust several months ago but just got around to installing it. I don't know why I waited so long; it took all of 25 minutes to drop the stock pipe and install the Akro. This stuff is easy without bodywork in the way.

Yamaha did a fine job on the FZ-09’s exhaust. It’s quite stylish—especially the artfully swept headers—and the bike certainly doesn’t lack power, so my lust for an aftermarket pipe is really rooted in a desire for a gruffer exhaust note and maybe a little weight reduction.

The stock stainless-steel exhaust is pretty hefty at 18.4 pounds. The Akrapovic pipe with its stainless headers and titanium muffler weighs 13.3 pounds, netting a 5.1-pound weight savings. On the dyno, my FZ-09 put down 102.8 hp at 10,200 rpm and 59.1 pound-feet of torque at 8,300 rpm. With the Akro pipe installed, peak power rose to 106.3 hp at 10,500, while torque remained the same. There are marginal power gains in the midrange, but it’s not until 9,000 rpm that the Akro pipe starts paying real dividends.

The Slovenian pipe clearly looks good, and it sounds excellent too. The exhaust tone is deeper, and volume has increased slightly—but not much. This pipe is EPA and ECE complaint, and I appreciate that. I haven’t removed the baffle yet, and I don’t expect to. I’m not a fan of loud exhausts, and this thing sounds sweet as is.